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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. JENKINS, OF JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,695, dated November 24, 1857.

'lo all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. JENKINS, of Jacksonville, in the county of Morgan and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVashing-Machines; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The drawing exhibits a vertical longitudinal section of my improved washing machine.

The nature of my invention consists in a horizontal frame hinged at one end to the rear of the tub and resting pendulously on a bed of revolving rollers-and overhung by an adjust-ing spring bracket-and carrying a series of vertical rubbers or beaters and squeezers which are pivoted at the center of their height, to said frame, and at their upper end to vibrating connecting rods of a crank shaft in such a manner that they each have a circular oscillating motion.

By arranging the frame on a hinge as stated and relatively to the bracket, it, and all its attachments, can be conveniently adjusted to an elevated position out of the way, .when it is desired to introduce the clothes between the rubbing surfaces, and by arranging and combining the frame rubbers and crank, as stated so as to give each of the rubbers an oscillating motion over a roller bed, the clothes are subjected to an antifriction pounding action through the rubbers and rollers, both in the back and forward movements of the vibrating crank connecting rods, and also to a squeezing action at the moment when said frame changes the direction of its movements either back or forward.

My invention also consists in arranging a discharging roller at the front of the rubber-frame and one in front of the roller bed, and having the belt of one of said rollers arranged above a tightening pulley so that the motion of the rollers may be decreased at will, and the clothes retained between the rubbing surfaces a greater or less length of time as occasion may require. By this feature of my invention, light articles can be discharged rapidly, and thus not be subjected to a too great rubbing action, and heavy articles retained suiiiciently long to insure a thorough washing of the dirt therefrom.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the wash-tubz-its bottom, from center to front, forms a tank, a, and for the remainder forms an elevated incline plane, b, as shown.

B, B, are the revolving rollers which form the antifriction bed. These rollers are placed some distance above the bottom of the tank so that the water will have a chance to circulate under them. The bed formed by the rollers does not extend to the front of the tub in order that a space shall be left for the clot-hes, as fast as they are discharged from between the rubbing surfaces, to fall into, out of the way. The front roller, B1, of the bed, is the discharge roller. It has a spur wheel C1, on its end, which gears into a pinion, D, of the pulley shaft E.

F, is a pulley on the shaft E, and G, is a belt leading from the pulley to the fly-wheelshaft I-I.

I, is the belt-tightener- By moving it downward, the belt is tightened and the speed of the roller B, decreased-and vice versa, by moving it upward.

J, is the horizontal frame which supports the rubbers. This frame is hinged loosely on the crank-shaft K, as shoavn at C, and rests horizontally upon the side pieces d, of the roller frame so that the lower ends of its rubbers come slightly above the rollers. This frame has a discharging roller, B12, arranged at it-s forward end, said roller working in connection with the roller B1. It also has a cross bar or hook c at said end, which in connect-ion with an overhanging spring bracket e, serves for holding the frame elevated as shown in dotted lines when it is desired to insert the clothes between the rubbing surfaces.

L, L, are the vertical rubbers. They are pivoted to the frame J, near the center of their width, as shown at f, f, and to connecting rods M, of the crank-shaft K, as shown at g, g. It is by thus pivoting the rubbers that they are made to perform a circular oscillating movement and to act upon the clothes with a pounding and squeezing act-ion. The pounding action occurs When the rubbers start back or forward, and the squeezing action When they are in the act of assuming a perpendicular position or a position at right angles to the frame and connecting rods.

N, is a belt leading from a pulley 71 of the crank-shaft, to the fly-Wheel O, of theA shaft H. l

The machine thus constructed, and ad^- justed as shown in full black lines, with the clothes between the rubbing surfaces, is set l in mot-ion through the driving shaft, said pounding and squeezing action, while the belt turns the rollers and discharges the clothes as fast as operated upon.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arranging in the manner described, and relatively to each other for united use, of the rubber-frame J, rubbers L, L, roller B2, connecting rods, M, crank-shaft K, overhanging spring-bracket e, roller-bed B, B, and variable discharge roller B1, substanially as and for the purposes herein set orth.

JOHN D. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

H. B. MCCLURE, MAT STACY. 

